A Durham female priest has compared the Church of England to an abusive husband following controversial changes to plans allowing women to be bishops.

The Rev Dr Miranda Threfall-Holmes, interim principal of Durham Ustinov College, made the comments on a blog earlier this week.

She wrote: "One of the reasons women's ordination is important is because women's current exclusion from the church hierarchy justifies and entrenches sexist attitudes which have very serious consequences for women around the world."